Posts from the ‘Pets’ category

It’s all relative

After several days of mid to high 90’s (F), low 80’s felt pretty good.

It’s all relative :) !!

Meanwhile on the local vegetable front … Last Thursday I forfeited my CSA box. I was waiting on a delivery that ran late and it was VERY hot and I finally texted the farm that I would not make it. Thankfully, one of the crew was able to take my box so no waste.

To compensate and fill the vegetable coffers, Bear and I went to the market on Saturday. We arrived 10 minutes early in order to snag a parking spot in the shade. I was at Lower Valley Farm’s stand as the opening bell rang and back in the Jeep 10 minutes after with: golden beets, spinach, pea shoots, basil and patty pan squash.

The new thing – patty pan squash – I stuffed it:

I stuffed it with crab, cheddar, mayo, dill, salt, pepper and lemon juice with a topping of parmesan and bread crumbs…

… and some Chipotle Tabasco for a little smoky heat.

But then…

BUT THEN…

GIANT BROCCOLI!!!

https://instagram.com/p/BWV4EPslqqe/

YA-HOO!!! I ordered some extra broccoli and some other extra stuff … to freeze for this winter when no fresh anything is to be had.

This week’s CSA box PLUS some extras.

We be eating local, seasonal, extra-extra good vegetables this week!

Meanwhile…

Hot outside, cool inside.

Bear is happy.

Auggie is napping.

It’s all relative.

Rearranging things

There is a room in my house that is technically the living room.

Really, it is Bear’s room.

I don’t have TV and I typically sit to read in either the kitchen or the sunroom.

As Bear has moved into his very senior years and the back legs are not so strong, the living room as well as the rest of the house has non skid rugs so that he can navigate and get up and down. And there is a single mattress on the floor for his comfort as well – easy on/off.

As it heats up this week, I got to thinking that a bit of rearrangement might make things more comfortable as well as giving Bear more room to get into a cool corner he likes.

I opened things up and moved the A/C unit…

… so it points the length of the living room and into the bedroom. A booster fan keeps the bedroom nice and cool.

The sunroom chair now boasts a VERY large footstool!

Another booster fan helps some cool air from the living room reach the kitchen and sunroom.

Like Bear in his corner, Auggie also slept through the entire rearranging.

But later, we all enjoyed the cool – the new arrangement DOES work better with the real test to come later this week.

Friday morning

That is actually Thursday evening: my first CSA pickup of 2017! Boc Choy, Kale, Arugula, Spinach, Pea shoots, Radishes.

The spinach is an overwintered variety specifically grown for an early spring harvest. The leaves are huge and the note accompanying my box notes that it is sweet, tender and does not cook down as much as “regular” spinach.

This is Friday morning … an early planning session for how to enjoy those gorgeous vegetables. I browsed my new cookbooks: Six Seasons: a new way with vegetables and
Dishing Up the Dirt

Auggie “assisted” by stealing my chair when I got up to refill my coffee.

Bear waited outside, checking frequently to see if I was EVER coming out to go for a walk.

Friday morning.

April!

Well, it’s been awhile and now Spring has sprung and it is April!

Work has stayed a bit intense and when I finish, despite wanting to write or share photos, I am out of steam for more time at the computer in the evening.

It is light now until after 8 p.m. so nice to go out in the fresh air for an evening dawdle in the woods with Bear. I miss snowshoeing but I am enjoying having to don less “gear”! The hat/gloves/boots/snowshoes routine does sometimes get a bit much but oh, what a glorious time I had this Winter making and maintaining the paths and watching Bear and Auggie enjoy them.

Rewinding a little, this is what it looked like the first day of Spring: March 20.

Lots of ground, but still many patches of snow.

A couple of days later and very little snow…

… just enough for Bear to lie on and lick! Karl loved to do that also.

The driveway looks quite different than it did December through mid-March. After 3 months of mostly white ground it is still a surprise to see bare ground. When there was so much snow, it felt like it could never all go away.

Now there is sunshine and even hints of new green on the ground!

April!

Meltdown

So.

10 days ago it snowed like it meant it.

And then it warmed up.

And it stayed above freezing…

Gradually, the dry land appeared!

It was a miracle :) !!!

After snow on the ground for three solid months, it seemed like we might never see ground again.

And even with the warm, it was days. It was drippy and slushy and gray. It took a long time for bits of ground to appear. But once things got to ground, the ground increased rapidly.

The snowshoe paths I made and maintained for the past three months are the last to melt and now are bridges of ice between snow patches.

Meltdown!